Hannah was excited for her 25th birthday celebration. But that excitement turned to shock when she saw her dad walk in with her best friend, Jessica, by his side. She knew right then that she had to make him pay for what he was doing. Little did he know, Hannah had a plan that would turn everything around at her graduation.
“Happy birthday, kiddo,” her father greeted, but Hannah barely heard him. The room was filled with balloons and streamers, but something felt wrong. There was a strange tension in the air. “What’s everyone so tense about?” her dad asked, completely clueless.
Hannah stared at him in disbelief. Her dad had shown up at her party with Jessica as his date. “What is Jess doing with you?” she asked, trying to make sense of it.
Her dad just laughed. “What do you mean? We’re together, and we’re in love!”
Hannah’s mouth dropped open. “Are you serious? Mom is standing right there, and everyone can see you!”
He shrugged, as if it didn’t matter. “So what? That’s her problem. I don’t care what she or anyone else thinks. I’m living my life the way I want.”
Hannah looked over at her mom, who was standing silently, tears rolling down her cheeks. She couldn’t take it anymore. “If I knew you’d do something like this, I would’ve never invited you!” she shouted at her dad. Then she turned to Jessica. “And you, Jess, how could you do this? You were my best friend!”
Jessica looked at Hannah coldly. “Hannah, I’m sorry, but if you can’t handle this, that’s on you, not me.”
Hannah was stunned. “Get out! Both of you, just leave!”
Her dad sneered at her. “You’re overreacting, Hannah. Your mom and I aren’t together anymore. I’m just bringing someone new into our lives.”
“No, Dad, I’m not overreacting, and I don’t want to talk about it anymore. You need to leave now. This is Mom’s house, and we’re celebrating without you.”
“Fine, we’ll leave,” he snapped, and they walked out.
As they left, Hannah rushed over to her mom and hugged her tightly. “I’m so sorry, Mom. I had no idea they would…”
“It’s alright, my love,” her mother whispered, “Thank you.”
But Hannah couldn’t shake the image of everyone at the party looking at her mom with pity. She hated that people saw her mom as a victim.
The following Sunday, Hannah and her mom were sitting together in their cozy living room, sipping tea. The tension from the party still hung in the air. Even though the divorce was recent, her mom still missed her dad.
“Mom, I’m really excited about graduation next month,” Hannah said, trying to change the subject. “It’s a big moment for me.”
Her mom smiled softly. “Oh, Hannah, I’m so proud of you. You’ve worked so hard for this day.” But then she sighed, her smile fading. “Seeing Jessica with your father…that was hard. She’ll be graduating too, won’t she?”
Hannah squeezed her mom’s hand. “Yes, it was awful. But you’re stronger than this, Mom. You deserve so much better.”
Tears welled up in her mom’s eyes. “Hannah, it’s just so hard. I never expected this from Jessica. She was like a daughter to me, and now…this.”
Hannah comforted her mom, but deep down, she knew she had to do something. She had a plan forming in her mind, but she kept it a secret for now.
That Thursday, Hannah met up with Tom, a kind man she had known since she was a kid, at a small café near the university. Tom had worked with her dad, and he had always been nice to her. After catching up, Hannah shared her plan with him. To her relief, Tom agreed to help.
As graduation day approached, Hannah’s excitement grew. The night needed to be perfect—not just for her, but for her mom too. When the big day finally arrived, Hannah was ready.
She got to the graduation hall, feeling a mix of nerves and excitement. She saw her dad and Jessica walk in, looking all confident and smug. But they had no idea what was coming.
A little later, her mom walked in—with Tom by her side. They looked amazing together, and Hannah couldn’t help but grin. When her dad and Jessica noticed them, their confident expressions quickly turned to shock.
“Tom? What are you doing here?” her dad asked, clearly surprised.
Tom smiled calmly. “Supporting a dear friend and her daughter,” he replied, wrapping his arm around Hannah’s mom.
Jessica looked uneasy, realizing things weren’t going as planned. “You said he was just a coworker,” she whispered to Hannah’s dad, who was starting to look uncomfortable.
Hannah’s plan was working perfectly. Throughout the evening, her mom and Tom laughed and danced together, looking happier than ever. Her dad, on the other hand, was clearly irritated. He even pushed Jessica away when she tried to dance with him, finally realizing that he had lost the best thing in his life.
As the night came to an end, Hannah hugged her mom tightly, thrilled with how things had turned out. “You deserve all the happiness in the world,” she said, smiling.
Her mom left the hall with Tom, happier than she’d been in a long time. Hannah knew her dad was regretting his choices now, but it was too late. Her plan to show him that her mom could find happiness without him had been a complete success.
In the end, Hannah couldn’t have been more pleased. Justice had been served.
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